Bad news for Manchester United — Chelsea still owns the trademark for ‘Jose Mourinho'

If you're wondering why Manchester United took so long to confirm
Jose Mourinho as its manager, the problem could be that Chelsea
still owns the trademark rights to his name, the BBC reports.

It says Chelsea — which fired Mourinho early into the 2015/16
season after a poor start — could demand a "six-figure sum" for
the trademark before United officially signs him.

Chelsea reportedly registered the name "Jose Mourinho," as well
as his signature, as a European trademark back in 2005.

Despite Mourinho's sacking, the club still owns and uses those
trademarks on much of its official merchandise.

United announced the dismissal of manager Louis van
Gaal on Monday and has been in talks with Mourinho since. It
confirmed Mourinho's appointment as the club's new manager on
Friday, but there's still no word on his salary.

The Guardian says that Ed Woodward, vice chairman of Manchester
United, wants to acquire Mourinho's image rights as
they will provide a lucrative income. If he can't, he may have to
license the image rights from Chelsea — a very strange state of
affairs.

The issue will be resolved either way, it adds, and Mourinho will
sign a three-year deal with the club in excess of his £7.5
million ($11 million) annual salary at Chelsea.

In related news, an employment tribunal against Mourinho and
Chelsea by Eva Carneiro — a sports medicine specialist who was
fired from Chelsea's first-team duties last season — will go ahead in June.

Women in Football — a campaign group — previously said it was "appalled" at the Football
Association's decision to clear Mourinho for discriminating
comments he allegedly made against Carneiro.